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Weed - Bindweed

Hedge bindweed -look quite different from field bindweed. Seedling have fat, heart shaped leaves. Not as invasive as the field bindweed.

Field bindweed- the leaves are more elongated. And they will often have white or pinkish flowers that remind one of Morning Glories. In fact, bindweed is a relative of Morning Glory.

This a particularly difficult weed

A few years ago, someone called because they had just paid for a new asphalt drive and a month or so later these weeds were coming up through the asphalt. On inspection, we found bindweed growing. Apparently the contractor had removed some of the weeds in the drive but the homeowners weren't sure how deep they dug. Now they say bindweed root depth can be measured in feet.

Two years ago in the fall, I sprayed a patch of bindweed with glyphosate. Then we had a nice crop of squash there last year. (Grew some giant Butternut squash, one of them over 30" longLast year there was not a lot of bindweed. But this spring there was a few bindweed coming up to the top of the ground. Those bindweeds were growing up through about 6 inches of rototilled soil. So that means that there were pieces of bindweed roots that had started to grow up through 6-8 inches of soil. Some pieces of root as small as 1-2" can grow into plants.

If Bindweed is growing in the flower and shrub beds, remove it as soon as possible. If it is the young plants, they will generally pull out relatively easily. When the plants are established, then it is harder. The plants have deep roots that send new roots sideways. They can pop up 12 inches away from the original point. Do pull them out as best you can. Try not to let the leaves stay around too long. By removing the stems and leaves as quickly as they grow will help to reduce the vitality of the underground roots.